ArtPrize is set to kick off in just a few weeks. After the organization called it quits in October, operations were handed off to the city of Grand Rapids and Kendall College of Art and Design.
They now operate as their own entity, assembled under the leadership of city officials, Kendall College and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI).
Executive Director Catlin Whitington was brought on board in March, after previously working to grow the South by Southwest music and arts festival down in Austin, Texas.
“This is a foundational year, a transitional year,” Whitington told FOX 17 Wednesday.
“My team has scaled from about eight people to about 26 people in five months.”
There will be more venues taking part this year.
In 2023, there will be 168 pieces of art, created by a combined 930 artists, displayed across 153 venues in the downtown area.
Whitington says they have about 5% more venues participating in 2023, compared to 2022.
Murals and more complicated works are already in the process of going up in their designated spaces.
As we move closer to September 14, the city will continue to ebb and flow with the presence of artists, their helpers, and the crowds of onlookers.
It all runs from September 14 through October 1, 2023. Voting begins at 5:00 p.m. on the first day.
Artists can look forward to similar prize amounts as years past: $125,000 for the grand prize winner of the public vote, with $50,000 for second place, and $25,000 for third place.
There will also be cash awards for juried categories— 2D, 3D, installation, time-based, and digital. $125,000 worth of prizes will be distributed among ten category winners.
Another $15,000 will be awarded across five categories of artists from "underrepresented communities and demographics."
While the numbers are comparative to year's past, it will remain to be seen what this new incarnation of ArtPrize will truly look like.
Only one way to find out!
Information on the actual pieces of art, the venues, and the artists has not yet been released.
You will want to watch ArtPrize's website HERE and their Facebook page HERE for updates.
